The Jamie Paterson contract stand-off is the last thing Swansea City boss Russell Martin needed right now.
Bang in the middle of the transfer window, Martin already had his hands full with other ins and outs at the Swansea.com Stadium.
Paterson revealed that he wasn't in the right frame of mind to face Huddersfield Town last weekend due to the way his contract extension was handled.
The subsequent fall-out caused quite the stir.
Naturally, Martin was asked about Paterson at his pre-Preston North End press conference on Thursday afternoon.
Here is what he had to say on the affair....
What's the latest on Jamie Paterson?
RM: January is a really difficult time for so many players. Pato came to us in the summer after having a difficult summer in terms of his future. Pato’s nearly 30 and he's been through his fair share of tough times in football. Bit of damage before in terms of trust in people in leadership positions.
He has all of that to carry with him. He comes here, he’s been fantastic. Performances have dipped lately because he feels a weight on his shoulders and that he deserved a little bit more than just extending his contract.
He knows where I stand. Me and him haven’t fallen out, I love Pato. I'm disappointed he’s not in the right frame of mind to be involved for us at the moment, but a boy’s mental health is really important.
He’s not using that as a get out card. He really feels at this minute of time he can’t contribute. He knows my feelings.
I don’t think he’s been given hugely supportive advice, is my honest opinion. I think clubs have already expressed an interest in him through his agent because of what he’s done, which is no surprise to me.
His issue was with the contract extension. Hopefully if he’s still our player in two weeks time when the transfer window shuts we’ll be able to move on and he can produce what he’s already produced for us, unless something before then happens that is satisfactory for the club, the owners and Jamie Paterson.
The minute he says he wants to come back into it and he feels right, he’ll be welcomed back. He has to work really hard to get back into the team and the squad, but until then we’re in limbo a little bit.
He’s training, but not here. I don’t think that energy will be conducive to a positive performance for the rest of the guys on Saturday. They’re a brilliant group and I’ve been really honest with them. That’s where we’re at.
I don’t want Jamie to be the bad guy. He’s at where he’s at because of previous things he’s had in his career and his life.
I guess sometimes your head gets turned and people can influence that. Hopefully this will get sorted one way or another.
Where is he training?
RM: He’s at Landore with Kris [O’Leary] and the guys. He understands it. He’s not out in the wilderness.
We speak on a daily basis to make sure he’s OK. His mental health is paramount.
He was back in as of yesterday and he has to train hard to keep himself fit until the conclusion is right and that he wants to be part of it or until the owners find something satisfactory from somewhere else.
Are you disappointed by the situation?
RM: Of course. It’s not a personal thing, when I sit down with Pato, I don't think it’s an easy decision for him. I genuinely feel he’s hurting. It’s hurting us and me because I love the kid.
He’s been a breath of fresh air with the energy he has. I know he’s finding it tough, and that hurts me. He’s really found somewhere that he feels happy. Since then, it’s been put into his mind about potential other things. It’s affected him.
There’s people who can get on with that and ignore the noise, but unfortunately for him at this minute in time he can’t. He watched the game [Huddersfield]. He found it really tough not being there.
We’re managing it the best way possible and in a way that feels right for us. I’m not going to be really critical of him because it’s not right.
He’s a great person, he knows how I feel about him. I’m not letting this one incident change it. I’d much rather he was with us, for sure.
You've mentioned mental health, is that a factor?
RM: It has to be. He’s not in the right frame of mind to be involved, and his job is to play professional football, train and be ready to be selected.
He’s not there yet. I know it’s hurting him. There’s a lot to take into account. He was in a really bad place in the summer. He had nowhere to go and unfortunately he feels the same way again, even though he has more security.
That’s the importance of people around you and advice. He’ll have his side I’m sure but he just feels a little bit let down.
Have other clubs been in touch with you about him?
RM: No.
So the interest has all come through agents?
RM: I presume so. I presume they’re working very hard for someone to come to the table.
The owners have made their stance really clear. If he’s still our player in two weeks I'll be really happy. If he’s not it means we’ve found a conclusion that everyone is happy with.
What is the owners' stance?
RM: Everyone has a price. We gave Pato a chance in the summer and then extended his contract to give him more security that he wanted. That’s where we’re at.
Is an improved deal a possibility?
RM: The owners’ stance is that he is four months into a 24-month contract which signals we want to give you security. The message maybe then was the message I told Pato at the time. We agree you’ve done brilliantly, we want to reward you but you have to carry on.
At the time with everything going on, his performances were affected a little bit which doesn’t help anyone. The situation we find ourselves in doesn’t help us or him.
You hoped to strengthen, but you weren't anticipating this situation?
RM: It’s not ideal. We’ll see where we are in two weeks. It really is as simple as that. I don’t know what’s going to happen.
All I know is how I feel about Pato as a player and a guy and how much it’s hurting him. The three people we’ve added will really strengthen us.
Does he stay if the value not met?
RM: Yes. I think that’s the same with any player! If a club comes in with money and the owners are happy with it, it's the same as any player.
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